National Parks in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is known for its diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage. The state is home to 5 national parks that showcase its varied ecosystems.

1. Guindy National Park

• Guindy National Park is located in the city of Chennai, which is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
• It is an extension of the grounds surrounding Raj Bhavan, formerly known as the ‘Guindy Lodge’, the official residence of the governor of Tamil Nadu.
• It is bounded by the Adyar River on the north and the Guindy Lake on the south.
• The park is known for its blackbucks population.
• In 1910, the Guindy forest area was declared a reserved forest under the provisions of the Madras Forest Act.
• In 1978, Guindy National Park was established.
• Area: Park covers an area of approximately 2.7 square kilometers (1.04 square miles).
• River: Adyar River flows through the park from north to south. It is a major tributary of the Kaveri River.
  • Adyar River
• Lake: Park is home to a lake known as the Guindy Lake or Guindy Tank. It is a man-made lake.
  • Guindy Lake
• Flora: Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest, Tropical Dry Evergreen Scrub and Thorn Forests, Mixed Dry Deciduous Scrub Jungle, Grassland etc.
• Fauna: Blackbuck, Toddy Cat, Civet Cat, Pangolin, Black-naped Hare, Grey Partridge, Crow Pheasant, Asian Koel,Saw-scaled Viper,Fan-throated Lizard, Star Tortoise etc.

2. Gulf Of Mannar Marine National Park

• The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park is a located in the Gulf of Mannar, off the coast of Tamil Nadu in southern India.
• It is situated in Coromandel coast covering coasts of Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
• It includes a cluster of islands, coral reefs, and coastal areas.
• The park is home to endangered dugongs (sea cow).
• In 1986, the Government of India declared a portion of the Gulf of Mannar as the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.
• In 1989, it was declared as a Marine Biosphere Reserve of India by the Government of India. Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park formed core area of Biosphere Reserve.
• In 2001, the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
• In 2022, the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve was listed as a Ramsar site.
• Area: Park covers an area of approximately 560 square kilometers (216 square miles).
• River: The park is fed by several rivers including:
  • Vaigai River
  • Pambar River
  • Chittar River
  • Vaippar River
  • Manimuthar River
  • Thamirabarani River
• Flora: Mangroves (Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia marina, Ceriops decandra, and Excoecaria agallocha), Coral Reefs, Seagrasses (Halophila ovalis, Halodule uninervis, and Cymodocea serrulata), Algae and Seaweeds (filamentous algae, red algae, brown algae, and green algae) etc.
• Fauna: Marine Mammals (Dugong (Sea Cow), Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, spinner dolphin and humpback dolphin), Birds (egrets, herons, terns, gulls, plovers, sandpipers), Sea Turtles (Olive Ridley turtle, Green turtle, Hawksbill turtle, and Loggerhead turtle), Crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, shrimps, and prawns) etc.

3. Mudumalai National Park

• Mudumalai National Park is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu.
• It is situated at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and
• It is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• Th park has a common boundary with Wyanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) on the West and Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) on the North.
• In 1940, an area of Mudumalai forest was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the Madras Presidency.
• In 1986, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary was incorporated into Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1st Biosphere Reserve in India).
• In 1990, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary was upgraded to a national park.
• In 2007, Mudumalai was designated as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger.
• Area: Park covers an area of approximately 321 square kilometers (124 square miles).
• Hills: The park is located in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats range.
  • Nilgiri Hills
• River: The Moyar River is the main river that flows through the park.
  • Moyar River
• Tribe: Mudumalai National Park is home to various indigenous tribal communities:
  • Todas
  • Kurumbas
  • Irulas
• Flora: Semi-evergreen Forests (Cullenia excelsa, Lagerstroemia spp., and Palaquium ellipticum), Moist Deciduous Forests (teak, rosewood, sandalwood, and Indian laurel), Dry Deciduous Forests (terminalia, axlewood, and Indian kino tree), Thorn Forests (Acacia leucophloea and Acacia arabica), Bamboo Groves, Scrub Forests, Grasslands etc.
• Fauna: Tiger, Asian Elephant, Indian Gaur, Spotted Deer, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Marten, Sloth Bear, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Black Eagle, Indian Star Tortoises, Indian Rock Python etc.

4. Mukurthi National Park

• Mukurthi National Park is located in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu state in South India.
• It is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Silent Valley.
• The park was named after its highest peak, Mukurthi Peak, which stands at an elevation of around 2,554 meters (8,379 feet).
• In 1982, it was declared a wildlife sanctuary with the aim of protecting the Nilgiri tahr.
• In1990, the wildlife sanctuary was upgraded to the status of a national park.
• Area: Park spans an area of approximately 78.46 square kilometers (30.29 square miles)
• Hills: Park is situated in the Nilgiri Hills, which is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range.
  • Nilgiri Hills
  • Mukurthi Peak
• River: Pykara river flow through Mukurthi National Park.
  • Pykara River
• Tribe: The area surrounding the park is home to various indigenous tribal communities. One of the prominent tribe found in the region is Toda tribe.
  • Toda tribe
• Flora: Shola Forests, Grasslands, Rhododendrons, Orchids etc.
• Fauna: Nilgiri Tahr, Indian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Nilgiri Marten, Nilgiri Langur, Sambar Deer, Black-naped Hare, Soft-furred Rat, Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Nilgiri Salea, Horseshoe Pit Viper etc.

5. Indira Gandhi National Park (Annamalai National Park)

• Indira Gandhi National Park is located in the Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District and Udumalaipettai taluk in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, India.
• It lie in the southern part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Anamalai Hills.
• The park is also known as Annamalai National Park.
• In 1976, the Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary was established.
• In 1987, the Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary was renamed Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.
• In 2007, the park was designated as a tiger reserve under the Project Tiger initiative.
• Area: Park spans an area of approximately 958 square kilometers (370 square miles).
• Hills: The park is situated in the Anaimalai Hills, part of the Western Ghats. The highest peak in the Anamalai Hills is Anamudi, which stands at an elevation of approximately 2,695 meters (8,842 feet) and is the highest peak in South India.
  • Anamalai Hills
    • Anamudi Peak
• River: Some prominent rivers and streams flow through the park:
  • Aliyar River
  • Chinnar River
  • Thirumoorthy River
  • Amaravathi River
• Lake: Some notable lakes in and around the park:
  • Amaravathi Reservoir
  • Aliyar Reservoir
  • Upper Aliyar Reservoir
  • Thirumoorthy Reservoir
• Tribe: Some of the tribal communities associated with the park:
  • Kadar
  • Malasar
  • Pulaiyar
  • Mudugar
  • Eravalar
• Flora: Tropical Evergreen Forests (rosewood, ebony, vengai, teak, and magnolia), Moist Deciduous Forests (Teak, bamboos, terminalia, Indian laurel, and banyan), Grasslands, Orchids and Epiphytes etc.
• Fauna: Tigers, Elephants, Panthers, Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiris Langur, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Nilgiris Tahr, Wayanad Laughing Thrush, Great Indian Malabar Pied HornBill, Indian Rock Pythons, Indian Monitor Lizards etc.